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This pseudo-sequel to the cracking E-Motion, is set inside the human body, where a war is raging between invading virus cells and the body's own defence mechanisms.

Most of the time, these virus cells are easily defeated, but when a strain mutates, it's time to activate the artificial Vaxine system, a remote-controlled detect-and-eliminate mechanism designed to enter the body and dispose of any intruders.

The "body" is a chequered floor, dotted with numerous key body cells, in the shape of small domes. Enemy viruses gradually bond together in order to attack these domes, but also use the cell's proteins to multiply in number!

To save the body, the cells must be defended by blasting a virus with a colour-coded antibody (use the wrong colour, however, and the shot will have no effect), or using a "trojan" cell, which will bond with a virus, wait for more to bond with that, then destroy the whole bunch! Once all viruses in the area are destroyed, it's on to the next part of the body.

This is the next in US Gold's series of "New Age" games, and it's pretty damned good. For what is, in essence, a flashy shoot-'em-up, there is something about Vaxine which puts it head and shoulders above other games of this type.

The graphics are nothing short of amazing, with lots of shaded spheres bouncing around left, right and centre, and though there isn't much in the way of sound, what's there seems to fit in perfectly. The effect of inertia on the antibodies can make life rather difficult, but fortunately this can be turned off to give the game a more arcade-y feel. Speed is of the essence, with more and more viruses appearing and bonding, you have to really work to get all the nasties out of the way before the screen is filled with rampaging germs.

Overall, Vaxine is a ruddy good blast in the best traditions - easy to play, difficult to master.

Essentially the same as its ST counterpart, but with more sound and more colourful graphics. A luvverly game.